El Paso still mourns victims of Walmart attack, will never forget, Mayor Oscar Leeser says
Anthony Jackson
El Paso officials united Tuesday morning to remember the victims of the 2019 mass shooting at an East El Paso Walmart.
"Our whole community still mourns the loss," Mayor Oscar Leeser said. "They will never forget, and we're here today to pay tribute to all the citizens of our city and the 23 that lost their lives."
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As the names of the victims were read, Leeser and members of the City Council took turns tolling a blue bell used in funeral services that was provided by Northeast city Rep. Joe Molinar, a former Marine.
Twenty-three names were read:
- Jordan Anchondo
- Andre Pablo Anchondo
- Arturo Benavides
- Leonardo Campos Jr.
- Maribel Campos
- Juan de Dios Velázquez Chairez
- Angelina Silva Englisbee
- Maria Flores
- Raul Flores
- Guillermo “Memo” Garcia
- Jorge Calvillo Garcia
- Adolfo Cerros Hernández
- Alexander Gerhard Hoffman
- David Alvah Johnson
- Luis Alfonzo Juarez
- Ivan Filiberto Manzano
- Gloria Irma Márquez
- Elsa Mendoza de la Mora
- Sara Esther Regalado Moriel
- Margie Reckard
- Javier Amir Rodriguez
- María Eugenia Legarreta Rothe
- Teresa Sanchez
Escobar: 'Our hearts remain broken'
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, in a news release told of the pain that lingers in the attack's aftermath. Escobar also attended a memorial ceremony for the victims Tuesday morning at Ponder Park.
"Today, our hearts remain broken as we remember the victims, survivors, and all those impacted by the deadliest targeted attack against Latinos in modern American history," Escobar said in the statement.
On July 9, Escobar introduced legislation to the U.S. House of Representatives to designate the El Paso Community Healing Garden as a federally recognized memorial site.
A day before the second anniversary of the 2019 mass shooing, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, spoke in the Senate chamber about the hate behind the attack.
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“This shooting was undoubtedly hate in its purest form. The shooter was a white supremacist who carried out an act that can only be described as domestic terrorism," Cornyn said. "Our Hispanic neighbors and friends were purposely targeted, and both Texans and Mexicans were killed by this wicked individual.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, on the day of the second anniversary, released a statement about passing legislation championed by lawmakers from El Paso's delegation to the state Legislature.
The legislation was based on recommendations from the Governor's Texas Safety Action Report. However, of the six bills based on the recommendations, only one passed the Legislature and was signed into law by Abbott.
That bill increases the penalty for people prohibited from owning a gun who lie during a federal background check to a state jail felony. The law goes into effect Sept. 1.
Abbott, in his statement, also heralded lawmakers' efforts to appropriate funding to "promote the statewide safe gun storage campaign through 2023."
"It’s a good start, one that we all look forward to building on each session with the Legislature," Abbott said.
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The five mass violence prevention bills that were recommended but failed to pass the Legislature this year included:
- Senate Bill 164 would have required courts to inform criminals that they are no longer allowed by law to possess firearms, and failure to forfeit their firearms could lead to additional charges for unlawful possession of a firearm.
- Senate Bill 553 would have sped up the reporting of a conviction to the Department of Public Safety.
- Senate Bill 554 would have required that any missing firearm be reported to law enforcement within 10 days of when the owner is aware of the loss or theft.
- Senate Bill 555 would have established a lifetime prohibition of the possession of a firearm for those convicted of certain violent crimes or hate crimes.
- Senate Bill 556 would have created an offense for a person prohibited from having a firearm to purchase or attempt to purchase a firearm. It also would have required a firearms dealer to report when a person is denied because of their background check.
State Sen. César Blanco's office said in a statement: "This plan was to include strategies to provide community healing, combat the rise of extremist groups and hateful ideologies, keep guns out of the hands of deranged individuals, and combat domestic terrorism."
Blanco, the author of those five bills, shared his support for the community and also attended the memorial ceremony at Ponder Park with Escobar and other community leaders and lawmakers.
"In the face of tragedy, El Paso showed the world the best of humanity," Blanco said in the statement. "We responded to hate with love, compassion, and support for one another. We are still healing but El Paso Strong will carry us forward."
Beto O'Rourke, a former presidential candidate and former El Paso congressman, denounced the gunman, as well as former President Donald Trump for his divisive language when speaking about immigration.
O'Rourke said his thoughts are with the survivors and family members who had a loved one die during the mass shooting.
"But to truly honor them, let us devote ourselves to fighting the forces that brought such unspeakable evil and death to our community and that continue to threaten the future of this country," O'Rourke said in a news release.
O'Rourke called for lawmakers to pass common sense gun legislation, pursue prosecution against white supremacist terrorists, reject language that dehumanizes immigrants, and protect voters' rights.
"But it should be clear to us that the Walmart shooting is an example of the white supremacist terrorism that is more prevalent in this country today than at any time since the last era of Jim Crow," O'Rourke said.
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Anthony Jackson may be reached at ADJackson@elpasotimes.com and @TonyAnjackson on Twitter.